Ben and Adam made their way downstairs with their bags as Hop Sing rounded the corner from the kitchen. “Hop Sing got supplies ready, Mr. Cartlight.”

“Thank you, Hop Sing.” Ben replied, taking the saddle bags from his cook. He had asked Hop Sing to get some light supplies ready before he had gone upstairs to see Adam. He knew they would be needing them as it was a long ride to California. “Please take care of our guests while we’re away.”

“Ah, Missy Sam and Missy Eddy. Velly pretty ladies. Hop Sing take velly good care of them.”

“Thank you, Hop Sing.” He said, putting on his gun belt and hat. He opened the door and he and Adam made their out. “We’ll see you when we get back.”

As they were making their way out to the barn to saddle their horses, Hoss, Sam, Eddy and Joe rode into the yard.

“Where you off to?” Hoss asked when he noticed they were both carrying carpet bags.

“Some urgent business came up that we need to take care of.” Ben said, as he kept walking toward the barn. Both he and Adam had been hoping to be already on the trail before Joe and Hoss had gotten back with Sam and Eddy. He really didn’t want them to know what he and Adam were doing.

“What urgent business?” Joe asked.

“Just something Pa and I need to deal with.” Adam replied. “You don’t need to concern yourselves.”

Ben was putting his saddle on Buck when Adam walked into the barn and over to Sport. Hoss, Joe, Sam and Eddy all made their way into the barn and looked at the two men who were getting ready to ride out without so much as a word to where they were heading.

“Pa, what’s goin’ on?” Hoss asked, concerned.

Ben ignored his question and asked one of his own. “How far did you get with the fence mending?”

“We’re just about finished.” Joe replied. “Now answer Hoss’ question. What’s goin’ on?”

“I don’t have time to explain right now. Adam and I need to get going.” Ben walked out of the barn with Buck. Adam followed close behind with Sport. “You ready, Adam?” Ben asked, mounting up on Buck.

“Yeah, let’s go Pa.” Adam replied, hopping up onto Sport.

“Oh, Hop Sing has dinner ready for you.” Ben called back over his shoulder.

Hoss furrowed his brow. “Something fishy’s goin’ on.” he stated.

“Yeah we need to find out where they’re going.” Joe replied as Hop Sing came out of the house.

“You come eat now! Supper getting cold! Hop Sing made flied chicken, mashed po-tay-toes, biscuits, glavy and apple pie for desert. Now, you come eat before supper get ruined.”

“Alright, Hop Sing, we’re a-comin'” Hoss said, walking toward the house leaving behind two very stunned sisters.

“I told you not to underestimate his nose.” Joe smirked, following his brother in to the house.

The two stunned sisters followed the brothers into the house, momentarily forgetting about the suspicious departure of Ben and Adam.

————————————————

Once inside, everyone was seated at the table. Sam and Eddy were looking at all the food with disbelief. It had been a long time since they had seen such a full, hearty meal. They were awestruck.

Hoss and Joe smiled at the girls. “Well, dig in.” Hoss said as he started piling food onto his plate.

The four of them started in on supper. As they were eating, Eddy thought about what had happened outside. “Where’d ya suppose Ben and Adam are heading? Especially this late at night.”

Joe shrugged and swallowed. “I don’t know. If it was ranch business, they’d head out in the morning.”

Eddy looked at Joe. “Think we should follow?” She asked, but she felt like she was pushing it.

“Eddy, if they wanted us to follow they would have told us where they were heading in the first place.” Sam said, wishing her sister would drop it.

Hoss swallowed his bite of chicken. “Well, it ain’t like Pa and Adam to just take off like this neither.”

“Hoss is right.” Joe said. “I’m tempted to follow them myself.”

Sam was staring down at her plateful of food but she suddenly had no appetite. “I think we should just let it go.” she snapped, getting up from the table and heading outside.

Hoss, Joe and Eddy stared in surprise at Sam’s departure. Eddy was about to get up and follow her sister when Hoss stopped her. “I’ll go. You finish your supper.”

Hoss left in search of Sam while Joe and Eddy stayed at the table. “What was that all about?” Joe asked, confused at Sam’s sudden mood change.

Eddy placed her fork on her plate and looked at Joe. “I don’t know.”

Joe wiped his mouth with his napkin and looked at Eddy. “I don’t like Pa and Adam just taking off like this. I think you’re right, I think we should follow them.”

Eddy nodded. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

Joe stood up from the table. “But I have a strange feeling that Sam’s keeping something from us and I want to know what it is.” he said, walking to the door. Eddy jumped up from the table and followed quickly behind him.

—————————————

Sam was sitting on the steps outside and looking up at the star filled sky. She had heard someone follow her out and she somehow knew it was Hoss. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did. A calming feeling swept over her as he walked up beside her.

“Mind if I sit down?” he asked.

“Not at all.” Sam replied.

“Nice night.” Hoss commented, looking up at the sky himself.

“It’s beautiful here.” Sam replied and then sighed. “Hoss, I’m sorry for what happened inside.”

“Ain’t no bother. I reckon you’re right, if Pa and Adam wanted us to know they’d’ve told us.”

“It’s not that, Hoss. I’m pretty sure I know where they’re headed. The last thing we need is Joe and Eddy following. It’s bad enough that Ben and Adam are heading out there.”

Hoss looked at Sam. “Where are they going, Sam?”

“Remember this afternoon when I told you and Adam and your Pa all about Dawson…”

Joe and Eddy had just made their way outside and caught the last part of the conversation. “You told Ben about Dawson!” Eddy said angrily, walking over to Sam and Hoss.

“Ben asked if I had any idea who was behind the fire…”

“And you gave him Dawson’s name? What were you thinking?”

Sam stood up and came face to face with her sister. “What was I supposed to do? Lie? Are you telling me you don’t think it was Dawson?”

“That’s not the point.” Eddy replied. “He’s a very dangerous man.”

“Is that where Pa and Adam went?” Joe asked. Sam didn’t reply and looked down at her boots. Joe walked over to her, grabbed her by the arm and turned her to face him. “Is that where Pa and Adam went!?”

Sam nodded. “I’m almost certain.”

“Great. Just great. So you sent Pa and Adam after a dangerous man?”

“Hey, Joe, take it easy.” Hoss said, standing up. “It ain’t Sam’s fault.”

“Then who’s fault is it?” Eddy asked, glaring at her sister. “She gave them Dawson’s name. She must of known what they’d do with that information.”

“Sam didn’t tell them to go.” Hoss replied. “If I know older brother, this was his idea.”

Joe sighed. He knew Hoss was right. If Adam thought he could help catch the men behind the fire, he’d jump at the opportunity. Pa was the same way. But he wasn’t going to just let the two of them face this Dawson fella alone. No, now he knew he had to follow them.

“Hoss is right. This is something that Pa and Adam would have decided to do themselves.” Joe said and looked at Sam. “I’m sorry, Sam.”

“It’s okay, Joe. I understand.”

Eddy stepped off the porch and made her way to the barn. “Eddy!” Sam called after her little sister. When Eddy didn’t answer, everyone went to the barn. Eddy was getting her saddle ready for Cashe. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going after them.”

“Like hell you are! It’s bad enough that Ben and Adam are gone. I’m not letting you go too!”

“You can’t tell me what to do, Sam! You’re not my keeper!” Eddy said angrily as she put the saddle blanket on Cashe’s back.

Sam grabbed Eddy’s arm and turned her around, causing the blanket to slip to the ground. “Eddy, I couldn’t stop Ben and Adam but I can stop you.”

“I can’t believe you’re not going yourself.”

“I told you when we left Trinity that I was never going back.”

“Not even to catch Ma and Pa’s killers?” Eddy asked, picking the saddle blanket up from the floor and putting it back on Cashe’s back.

“Even then.” Sam replied simply.

“I can’t believe you just said that. How can you not want them caught?”

“I didn’t say that I didn’t want them caught. But going back to Trinity and confronting Dawson is not going to accomplish anything. It’s not going to bring Ma and Pa back or restore the Thunderbolt to the way it was.”

Eddy sighed and leaned against Cashe. A part of her understood where Sam was coming from but the stubborn side of her said this was the right thing to do. If anything, she could catch up to Ben and Adam and convince them to turn around. If not, she could at least go along with them and help them face Dawson.

Joe looked at her. “Ed, are you planning to leave tonight?”

Eddy looked at him. “It’s my only chance to catch up to them.”

“Eddy…” Sam said walking up to her little sister.

Eddy looked at Sam. “I’m going. I’m not gonna let them do this alone.”

Sam knew that she lost and that no amount of arguing was going to change her ornery little sister’s mind.

Joe looked at Eddy. “I’m going with you.”

Eddy felt a little relieved.

Hoss looked at them. “You bring them back, little brother.”

Sam, Joe and Eddy knew what Hoss meant. They needed to get everyone together and make a plan.